Santa Eularia Old Bridge

Cars rumble over the modern road bridge, and right beside it the old arches of Pont Vell carry nothing but people on foot. For centuries this was the only way into Santa Eulària des Riu from the west. The crossing is thought to go back to the Romans, and the bridge standing today was probably raised in the 16th or 17th century on their foundations.

The bridge has its own legend. Under its arches grew a flowering herb that, picked at first light on Sant Joan (24 June) and sealed fast in a black bottle, held a Familiar: a bad-tempered sprite that wants only work or food, and eats its owner out of house and home once the work runs out. In 1744 the Holy Office sent a Santa Eulària man to prison after he swore he kept one.

From the bridge a walkway follows the river through green parkland down to the beach, with ducks on the water the whole way.

• There are no toilets at the bridge and none nearby, and no drinking water either. Bring your own.
• The old bridge is for walkers only. Cars and all other traffic use the modern bridge alongside.
• A signpost and an information board stand by the bridge, and boards mark a walking route along the river.
• Pair the bridge with the riverside walkway, which runs from here to the beach.

The bridge stands on the western edge of Santa Eulària des Riu, next to the modern road bridge on the way into town. Two car parks lie about 230 and 250 m away in a straight line, and bus stops sit about 320–350 m away, the named one being Policia Municipal. From the beach side you can walk in along the riverside walkway instead. Whichever way you come, the last stretch is on foot: the old bridge takes no vehicles.

Best: early morning or late afternoon. The low sun picks out the stone of the arches, and the riverside walk is pleasanter out of the midday heat.

Avoid: the middle of a hot summer day. Ibiza's summer sun is fierce by noon, and that is when the town is at its busiest.

For the legend of the Familiar, the hour is first light on 24 June.